Rail-brace.



c. E. STAUSSL RAIL BRACE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 26. Hi6.

' Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

INVENTOR LL88.

WITNESSES 1 ATTORNEY U ITED STATES PATENT o FIoE.

CARL E. STAUSS, OF HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIIi-BRACE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL E. STAUSS, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Homestead, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail- Braces, of which the'following is a specification.

This invention relates to a rail brace and the primary object of the invention is to provide a Wedge. member normally slidablelongitudinally of the rail and seated in a wedge-shaped groove whereby spreading of the rail will be prevented by the action of the railway carriages on the rails when a railway train is coming to a stop or passing around a curve. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide a supporting plate adapted to be fastened toone of the railroad ties and having a seat for receiving the base flange of the railway rail, while the plate is also provided with a transversely movable wedge member designed to contact with the base,

flange of the rail for and creeping thereof. V

A further object of this invention is the provision of a rail brace which consists of comparatively few parts and is simple in construction, but durable and well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which devices of this character are ordinarily sub-- jected. v

For a full description of the invention and the. advantages and merits thereof, ref

preventing spreading erence is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated the preferred form of my invention, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the rail in cross section.

Fig. Qisa top plan view.

Fig. 3. is a vertical section through the devicein applied position.

Referring to the drawing, wherein is illustrated the preferred form of my invention, and in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the railway A comprises the head 1, the web 2 and the usual base 3. The supporting plate 4 is of substantially-rectangular outline and is adapted to beniouuted upon the railway tie and fastened there- (o by the spikes 5. Extending transversely across the plate 4: and adjacent one edge thereof is the rail seat (3. A raised portion Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 14 1917 Application filed October 26, 1916. Serial No. 127,848. i

7 is formed on the plate and is elevated above the seat 6- and has one portion ex tended over the seat 6 to provide a retain mg tongue 8. One edge of the base flange 3 of the rail is disposed beneath the tongue 8 thereby preventing the outer edge of the rail from lifting off the seat 6. At the opposite side of the seat 6 is a transverse groove or depression 9 which is'adapted to receive the wedge 10. (lonnnunicating with the groove 9 and extended inwardlybeneath the seat 6 is a relatively narrow groove 11 and this groove receives a tongue 12 formed on the wedge 10 and extending the full length thereof. Opposite to the tongue 12 the; wedge is provided with a beveled edge 13 adapted to contact with the beveled wall 14 of the groove 9. By referring to Fig. 2

j of the drawing, it will be observed that the wedge 10 is tapered so that one end is considerably narrower than the other end and the recess 9 is also tapered so that a wedging action occurs between the beveled wall 14 and the beveled edge 13.

The top of the wedge is provided with a projection 15 which extends longitudinally of the wedge and has its free edge provided with a longitudinal groove 16 for receiving the inner edge of the base flange 3 of the rail.

After the rail has been placed upon the seat 6 and the plate at fastened to the railway tie by the spikes 5, the wedge 10 will be driven into place and the binding action will cause the projection 15 to tightly bind.

against the flange of the rail. A spike 17 will then be driven through apertures formed in the wedge and 111 the. plate and continued into the railway tie for holding the wedge in tight contact with the rail. Sprcadingof the rail will thus be prevented and when these wedge members are em ployed on curves the inclination of the rails the minor details of constrru-tion may he made without departingfrom the spirit of the invention ortluseopc of theclainis hereunto appended.

I claim:

1. A. rail brace comprising. in eornhine-- seat to overlie the flange oi. the

men with a 'ailway rail, a base plate provided with arail seat for receiving the base flange of the railway rail, one end of the base plate being provided with a raised portion forming one edge of the rail seat and mm the rail rail, a slot extending transversely through the base plate and having one wall disposed at an angle with respect to the rail, the said wall being also beveled, a wedge movable in the said slot and having one side beveled and disposed at an angle to engage the said angular wall of the slot, the saidwedge also having an elongated, opening and a fastening element extended through the opening and through the said base plate.

2. A rail brace comprising, in combinahaving a tongue projeetin tion with a railway rail, a base plate pro-' vided with a rail seat for receiving the base flange of the railway rail, one end of the base plate being provided ivitha raised portion forming one edge of the rail seat and having a tongue projecting over the rail seat to overlie the flange of the rail, a slot extending transversely through the base plate and having one wall disposed at an angle with respect to the rail, the said \vall being also beveled, a wedge movable in the said slot and having one side beveled and disposed at an angle to engage the said angular wall of the slot, the said wedge also having an elongated opening, a fastening element extended through the opening and through the said base plate, one wall of the slot forming the proximate edge of the said rail seat, the edge of the said base flange of the rail being disposed at the said edge of the rail seat, the said wedge having a projection overlapping ,the proximate flange oi the rail and provided with an elongated groove. for receiving the said flange. and a tongue disposed beneath the rail seat and (re-acting with the base plate to retain the projection in tight engagement with the base flange of the rail.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARL l S'IATTSS. lVitnesses JOHN A, new, J osnrn E. SMITH. 

